The present invention relates to molded baseboards or skirting boards, crown moldings, or other architectural molding articles particularly useful as a molding strip disposed adjacent to a room wall, where the wall meets a finished floor (base board) or ceiling (crown molding), and to a method of making the molded wood composite articles. The skirting board includes four embodiments, a corrugated positioning and strengthening member supporting a molded outer profile that is secured to the wall or floor; a single piece of molded decorative board with separate hardware that is fastened to the wall; a one part laminate fastened to existing baseboard on a wall; and molded skin foam filled on the back side to conform to the wall. More particularly, in the preferred embodiment, both the corrugated positioning and strengthening member, and the skirting board disposed thereover, are made from a cellulosic mat containing a combination of cellulosic fibers, preferably including species of Pine, or Sitka Spruce, and mixed hardwoods, such as maple and oak, with Pine or Fir including at least about 30% by weight, preferably at least about 60%, softwood fibers, (from trees that produce cones) such as all species of pine and fir, e.g., Southern Pine, based on the total dry fiber weight, and a natural or synthetic binder, such as a phenol formaldehyde, melamine formaldehyde, or urea formaldehyde resin. The cellulosic mat includes at least about 80% refined, fibrillated cellulosic fibers, e.g., a fiberboard mat, such as that hot-pressed to produce hardboard. The upper surface of the decorative facing board has excellent molding die fidelity and may have a smooth finish or may be embossed to simulate a wood grain pattern, such as oak, simulating furniture grade natural wood. The articles are molded from a planar layer or mat of cellulosic fibers and a binder, e.g., a fiberboard mat, made either by the wet process or the dry process, preferably the dry process. In a preferred embodiment, the fiberboard mat is one to three inches in thickness before molding, and after molding is xe2x85x9 to xc2xc inch in thickness.
Man-made boards, such as fiberboard, e.g., hardboard, commonly are embossed on their intended visible major outer surface in the manufacture of interior paneling, exterior siding, and the like. There are numerous examples of skirting boards made from natural wood, wood veneer or plastic coated wood, sheet metal, extruded plastic, e.g., PVC, or medium density fiberboard, as disclosed in the following U.S. Patents. Pinto et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,276 B1; Grxc3xcn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,909; DiGianni U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,681; Sauter, U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,872; Silver, U.S. Pat. No. 495,465; Ayres, U.S. Pat. No. 800,053; Buhr, U.S. Pat. No. 1,488,090; Begian, U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,165; Harby, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,374; and Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,859. Pinto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,276 B1 discloses a natural wood skirting board adapted to be nailed directly over an existing skirting board, and Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,859 discloses brackets that are attachable to a top of an existing skirting board so that vertical and/or horizontal ribs, extending from a plastic or metal skirting board, can be secured to the existing skirting board. The other cited U.S. patents are directed to originally installed skirting boards, and generally include complicated support structure including horizontal and/or vertical ribs, for maintaining the outer decorative skirting board spaced from the wall. Further, many of such skirting boards are produced from natural wood, which is expensive, heavy, and require cutting and routing, or from a medium density fiberboard (MDF), which is not only relatively heavy, but also requires cutting and machining from a relatively thick piece, e.g. xc2xdxe2x80x3 thick, to provide a desired decorative shape (profile), and the cut and machined profiled surfaces of the MDF then must be sealed to prevent fibers from protruding from the machined surfaces when coated and, substantially increasing the cost.
In accordance with the present invention, relatively thin, decorative, contoured, molded cellulosic fiber/binder composite articles, such as skirting boards, are manufactured by pressing a mat of cellulosic fibers and binder in a suitably shaped mold to produce multiple composite articles from the fiber mat, and the multiple composite articles, e.g., skirting boards, which are interconnected after molding, are easily separated, one from the other, to provide multiple skirting boards that are light weight, strong, can be embossed to replicate natural wood grain patterns during molding, and do not require cutting, machining, or sealing, other than to separate the multiple composite articles produced in the mold.
In brief, the present invention is directed to molded, decorative composite wood articles, such as skirting boards, and to a method of making multiple molded composite wood articles, e.g., skirting boards, in a single pressing step. In the preferred embodiment, the molded articles are adapted to be disposed adjacent to a wall or ceiling, e.g., where the wall meets a finished floor or ceiling, or at a mid wall chair rail location. The molded wood composite articles are produced by molding a loose cellulosic mat, in a single pressing step, to provide one or more relatively high density profile millwork lengths without requiring preliminary pressing, or other pre-shaping step, such as scalping. The molded wood composite articles are molded in a conventional, multi-opening fiberboard press, in a single pressing step process, while achieving excellent transfer of mold detail (embossing fidelity) without visually noticeable fiber fracture. The articles can include a foil, an in-press paper overlay, or thermoplastic coating materials but do not require an overlay or high resin content coating to achieve excellent embossing fidelity and appearance. Advantageously, multiple wood composite articles that are interconnected in pressing, but easily separated, are manufactured in a single pressing operation. Secondary operations may include membrane operation, vinyl film wrapped, ground coated ready for staining, and primed for solid color paints.
In the preferred embodiment, the loose cellulosic mat that is molded is manufactured by the dry process to provide a smooth, planar back surface or contoured back of the raised, molded profile, rather than a screen back pattern which results from pressed mats made by the wet process. The molded architectural design provides a decorative outer surface that is sharp and crisp with sharp detail in any decorative design and has the appearance and feel of hand crafted natural wood millwork, but actually is a molded, high density wood composite material that can be secured to a planar wall, such as gypsum wallboard, through a variety of positioning members, as disclosed in more detail hereinafter.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide molded, wood composite articles, e.g., skirting boards, and a method of manufacturing the articles, wherein the articles are molded into a pressed sheet of multiple articles from a loose mat of cellulosic fiber and binder, such that the articles have a decorative outer surface that simulates natural wood millwork.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide molded, wood composite articles, e.g., skirting boards, and a method of manufacturing the articles, and including a wall positioning member to position the articles spaced from the wall, such that the articles are light weight, but appear to be thick, solid wood millwork, and can be securely adhered to any planar surface, such as a gypsum wallboard, or plaster wall, while providing sharp, crisp embossing fidelity on the outer surface of the molded articles to simulate natural wood, handcrafted millwork.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a skirting board kit comprising a plurality of molded wood composite decorative, outer skirting board members and a plurality of inner positioning/strengthening members adapted to position and strengthen the skirting board, for securing the skirting board to a wall or ceiling. In one embodiment, the inner positioning/strengthening member can be a rigid foam, such as a polyurethane foam, that fills a space between the back surface of the skirting board and the wall or ceiling.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide a molded wood composite decorative article that provides for exact transferring of mold detail at exterior surfaces and contours in a single pressing operation without requiring multiple press steps, post mold curing at elevated temperatures, or a high resin content (5-25% by weight) outer surface portion.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a molded skirting board or other molded, decorative wood composite article that can be molded from cellulosic mats that do not require synthetic fibers, scrim surfaces, layering of short and long fibers, resin-impregnated paper overlays, or needling (needle punching) to hold a loose cellulosic mat together prior to molding.
A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a molded wood composite article, such as a skirting board, secured to a wall, that provides a space between the skirting board and the wall adapted to receive, and hide from view, conduit, electrical wires, and the like for plumbing and/or electrical connections.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide molded wood composite articles that can be molded in a strip of multiple parts in a single pressing (molding) operation and can be separated into individual moldings after pressing and then coated with a water-based and/or solvent-based coating material, e.g., paint or stain, without surface defects, such as knots or splits, in the outer surface.
The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings.